In a valiant victory for the House, a 214 to 213 win to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas commenced yesterday. This comes after national security concerns at the border and an administrative void of decorum within the Department of Homeland Security. This historic vote marks the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached in nearly 150 years. The last cabinet secretary that was formally found to have breached public trust was Secretary of War, William Belknap in 1876.

Under two articles of impeachment accusing Mayorkas of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and a “breach of public trust,” The vote came a week after an initial attempt failed.

But the impeachment push is all but certain to die in the Senate, which has the final say over removing officials under the Constitution.

In a statement following the vote on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said the impeachment push came “without a shred of evidence” or basis in the Constitution, noting the bipartisan opposition. Democrats have derided the effort, calling the impeachment a political stunt with no constitutional basis.

“This baseless impeachment will do nothing to secure the border — Republicans have admitted as much,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement after the vote. “Instead of providing the Department of Homeland Security the resources it needs or working together towards a bipartisan solution, they have rejected any solution for the sole reason that they can have a political wedge issue in an election year.” 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday that Mayorkas “is an exceptional case.” Johnson argued that the border chief “has brought more damage on the country than any cabinet secretary that has ever been.” 

While the vote does not remove Mayorkas from office, it is the first step in the process of ousting him from his post.